Ironing table



June 27, 1944. V, KELLER 2,352,389

IRONING TABLE Filed sept. 2, 1941 4Patented .lune 27, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE y IRONING TABLE Henry V. Keller, Minneapolis, Minn. Application September 2, 1941, Serial No. 409,193

4v Claims.

This invention relates to ironing tables and particularly to improvements in tables having collapsible leg units.

Modern ironing tables generally have their front and rear leg units connected by a leg brace and many of them are also provided with a locking brace which extends from the rear leg unit upwardly and forwardly to the top of thetable.

It frequently happens that the user of a table will grasp the front leg unit and pull it to swing both front and rear leg units away from the table top. This imposes a strain on the legs and braces so that the leg units will not pivot properly and will jam.

It is an object of my invention to provide means for insuring coordinating swinging action of the front and rear leg units even though only one of the legs is grasped and pulled to set up the table. 1

A more specific object of the invention is to provide an ironing table with front and rear leg units and a forwardly and upwardly extending locking brace connected to said rear leg unit wherein the leg units and locking brace can be swung up against the table' in'nested relationship, and wherein means is provided for interengaging the front leg unit withv the rear leg unit or with .members connected to said rear leg unit so that the front leg unit can be pulled away from the table top and the rear leg unit moved therewith without placing strains on the leg units or braces.

These and other objects and advantages ol the invention will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the views, and, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an ironing table embodying my invention in set up position;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of'the table with the legs collapsed;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View with the legs swung away from the table top in set up position;

Fig. 4 is a bottom view with the legs in partially set up position; and

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken' cured to brackets 9 on the under side of the top 6. A pair of rear legs Il are pivotally secured to the outer ends of brackets II which are secured to the under side of the board adjacent the rear end thereof, and the inner ends of said brackets have braces I2 plvotally connected thereto. The opposite ends oi' said braces are secured to the rear legs I0. The brackets II are disposed at an angle to each 'other as clearly indicated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, and the legs I0 and braces I2 are so arranged that when said rear legs I0 are swung downwardly from the top of the table they will diverge downwardly as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4. Pivotally secured to the rear legs I0 intermediate their ends is-a locking brace I3 made up of a rod bent to provide arms which converge upwardly to the underside of the top B, and the upper end of the bra'ce Il is slidably associated with the under side of the table top and its sliding movement is confined by a metal guide Ii. A strip oi sheet metal IS is placed between the guide I4 and the under side of the top 6 so that the locking brace I3 will be maintained in freessliding contact with the under side of said top Although its details are not brought out particularly in the drawing the locking brace I3 is releasably secured in the set up position of Fig. 1 by a pivoted catch member I8 and the catch is adapted to be released by a lever I'I which extends rearwardly to a point adjacent the under side of the rear end of the top 6. The releasing lever I1 is pivotally supported by a bracket I8 which is secured to the under side of said top B.

It will be seen in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 that I provide a strap 2l connecting the adjacent ends of the rear leg brackets II to prevent the latch releasing lever from being pulled away from the table top and bent.

Although the disclosed structure is adapted to work freely so that the front and rear leg units 1 and I0 will swing downwardly due to their own weight, it has been found that some persons set up the table by placing the top on the floor and pulling outwardly on the front leg unit and the leg brace I9 which extends from the lower end of the front leg unit upwardly and rearwardly to the rear leg unit. With ironing table leg units which are nested when collapsed as is the case inl the present structure if one should pull on the front leg unit it imposes considerable strain on said front leg unit and the leg brace since it is necessary to Amove the rear leg unit past a dead center position immediately adjacent the collapsed position.

In order to'overcome this diilculty I secure a pair ot laterally extending abutment members 20 i -As shown inEig. 2, when -the legs are collapsed against the under side 'of the table top the lateral abutment members 20 lie between the legs of -the locking brace I 3 and the under side of the away from ysaid top, and in so.swinglng'-engag'etable top 6. Then when the front leg unit is y pulled away from the table top the projecting abutment members 20 will engage the locking brace I3 and pressure upon the locking brace will move the rear legs I past dead center so that they will swing away from the table top 6 with `freedom.

As the front and rear leg units 1 and l0 are swung away from the table top C the locking brace I3 is pulled toward the left-hand or rear end of said table top and, as illustrated in the intermediate position of Fig. 4, said locking brace I3 at its divergent upper forward end will move out of alignment with the laterally projecting abutment members 20 on the iront leg units 1 so that said abutment members 20 will not interfere with proper operation of the legs and braces when the table is set up and collapsed.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a collapsible ironing table structure which can be set up and collapsed easily without binding at the pivot points. The addition of the lateral abutment members 20 is extremely simple and economical and they in no way affect the otherwise normal operation of the units of the device and they are mounted in such a way that there is no chance that they will catch on the clothing of the user of the board.

While I have referred particularly to the structure in the above identiiled pending application it is, of course, to be understood that the invention can be applied to other ironing board struc-i tures, and it is to be further understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

l. In an ironing table, a top, front and rear leg units pivoted to and swingable downwardly from said top, said rear leg unit including a pair of legs mounted for lateral spreading movement when swung away from said top, a leg brace extending between said front and rear leg units. a locking brace pivotally connected to said rear leg unit and extending forwardly to said top, and said front leg unit having a non-ilexible abutment thereon lying between said locking brace and top when said unitsare folded against said top, to permit .said -frontlegunit to' be swung 2. In an ironing table, atop, a pair ofA rear legs."

and a pair o! front legs pivoted to and swingable downwardly from said top, a locking brace pivotally connected to each of said rear legs between the ends thereof andcomprising arms coni verging forwardly and upwardly to said top and being slidably connected to said top, the forward and upper ends of said locking brace arms lying between said front legs when said front and rear legs are swung against said top; and said front legs having .laterally extending abutments directed inwardly toward each other and lying between said locking brace arms and said top. the lengths of said abutments being such that as said -locking brace slides rearwardly, the progressively narrower width of said locking brace permitting it to clear said abutments before distortion of any of the structure occurs.

3. In an ironing table, a top, front and rear leg units pivoted to and swingable downwardly from said top, a leg brace extending between said front and rear leg units, a locking brace pivoted to said rear leg unit and slidably connected to said top and adapted to slide rearwardly when `aid leg units are swung away from said top, said front leg unit having a non-flexible abutment thereon, said abutment lying between said locking brace and said top when said leg units are folded against said top, to swing said rear leg unit away from said top with said front leg unit, said abutment having a free end, and said locking brace when slid rearwardly 'along said top, as

said leg units are swung away from said top. being adapted to slide out of engagement with said lateral abutment at the free end thereof.

4. In an ironing table, a top, front and rear leg units pivoted to and swingable downwardly from said top, said rear leg unit including a pair of legs mounted for lateral spreading movement when swung away from said top, a leg brace extending between said front and rear leg units, a locking brace pivotally connected to said rear leg unit and extending forwardly to said top, and said front leg unit including an abutment portion lying between said locking brace and said top when said leg nits are folded against said top, whereby when said front leg unit is swung away from said top its abutment portion will engage said locking brace -and swing it and said rear leg unit away from said top.

HENRY V. KELLER. 

